Communication links

ABSTRACT

A system including a plurality of remotely configurable telephone network communication terminals ( 102 ) is adapted to communicate with a programming terminal ( 134 ) over a data network ( 222 ) by adding a remote interface means (RIM) ( 202 ) for each terminal to convert communications between the terminal to or from a format adapted for transmission over the data network, the programming terminal having a modem emulator ( 202 ) having communication and programming capabilities to interface the programming terminal with the network; by converting the programming terminal data to a network compatible format, obtaining an address for the RIM, connecting the programming terminal and the RIM via the data network, connecting the RIM and the communication terminal, transmitting the converted programming terminal data to the RIM, reconstituting the converted data to a format suitable for the communication terminal, and transmitting the reconstituted data to the communication terminal.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improvements in communications links.

In particular, the invention provides a method and arrangement forproviding a data communication link.

The invention is adapted for use in legacy communication systems, andcan be used, for example, to connect Public Switched Telephone Network(PSTN) communication equipment to data networks, such as IPcommunication networks.

The invention is applicable to communication systems generally. Ourco-pending international application PCT/AU2003/000921 (WO20004012434),the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes atelemetry system suitable for use with an alarm communication system.

The invention will be described in the context of a packet basedcommunication system using wired networks, such as xDSL and the like andwireless networks such as GPRS, HSDPA, CDMA-1xRTT and WiMax.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Premises alarm systems generally allow technicians and others to usedial up or analog data modems over the PSTN to gain remote access to theequipment in order to modify the configuration and down load newfirmware. Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 9 which showsprogramming terminal 9.34 connected to the PSTN 9.13 via modem 935, andan alarm panel 9.02 connected to the PSTN 9.13 via a second modem 9.04.

A number of problems arise when attempts are made to transmit telephonysignalling via a data network.

Some non-digital signalling systems utilize “real-time” ortime-dependent information to convey signalling information. Forexample, in telephone signalling, a pause of a known duration can beused to indicate that the following information is to be interpreted ina different manner from that in which it would normally be interpreted.Similarly, a signalling burst can be “bracketed” between pauses ofdefined duration. We have found that this time dependent information canbe lost or corrupted in transmission across data networks such aspacket-switched networks. In particular, this information can be lost intransmission across an IP network.

Recent times have seen the rapid roll out of voice over IP (VoIP)services displacing the PSTN at customer premises. As legacy alarmsystems are generally incompatible with VoIP services, new customerterminal equipment has been introduced to convert the signals from thelegacy alarm panels' PSTN interface to a form compatible with IPnetworks used to deliver the VoIP service.

The introduction of customer terminal equipment blocks the path used toremotely down load configuration data and the like into alarm systems.Therefore in order to completely replace the PSTN with IP networks, thecustomer terminal equipment must provide the ability to remotely (andsecurely) modify the configuration of the alarm system over IP orcellular networks in a similar manner to the PSTN.

Some attempts have been made to solve this problem by providing VoIPfunctionality in the customer terminal equipment to support a PSTN likeconnexion to the premises alarm system so as to provide thecommunications path to remotely modify the configuration over IP. Thisapproach suffers from a number of limitations, including poor securityassociated with using VoIP, and unpredictable channel quality. This isdue to the fact that VoIP call quality depends on available bandwidthand other factors, such as jitter and packet loss affecting the IP pathbetween the customer premises and the remote site from which theconfiguration is being carried out. If the bandwidth available over theIP path is low or is available in bursts, then the quality of thecommunications channel is poor and will not provide a reliable connexionfor the analog data modems used to provide the data communications linkfor remote configuration.

This specification describes an arrangement which allows the secureremote configuration of alarm systems over IP or cellular links in amanner that is far less dependent on the quality of the communicationspath or the available bandwidth as it only uses the bandwidthspecifically required for the data download, which could range from 110bits per Second up to 33800 bits per Second, but not exceeding 64000bits per Second.

The invention is also applicable to other legacy systems which havesimilar requirements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a system and method for providing remoteconfiguration access over IP and/or cellular packet networks to alarmpanels that are designed to be remotely configured using an analog dialup modem over the PSTN.

The invention provides a means of remotely selecting one or more remoteterminals to be programmed using a programming terminal connected via adata network and/or a PSTN.

The present invention is not limited in applicability to systems inwhich the remote terminal is a burglar alarm, although the high degreeof flexibility offered by the invention is particularly advantageous inthis context. Other uses for the invention include remote access toaccess control systems, building management systems, automatic vendingmachine and the like that support remote access via dial up analog datamodems using the PSTN.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method and arrangement fortransmitting time dependent information across a data network including:

providing at a first point at or outside the edge of the network a firstinformation processing means adapted to process time-dependentinformation in a manner to retain the time-dependent information; and,

providing at a second point at or outside the edge of the network, asecond information processing means adapted to reconstitute thetime-dependent information.

The first information processing means can include a modem emulator.

The time-dependent information can be conveyed across the data networkby the use of timestamps.

The invention provides a method of providing remote configuration accessfor a programming terminal via one or more data networks to remoteterminals, such as alarm panels, that are designed to be remotelyconfigured using a programming terminal adapted to program said remoteterminal(s) via the PSTN using analog dial up, wherein a first remoteinterface means (RIM) or customer terminal is connected to the remoteterminal, the first remote interface means being adapted to provide abi-directional interface between a remote terminal and a data network,and a modem emulator/[second RIM] is provided to interface theprogramming terminal with the data network, including programmingcapabilities adapted for transmitting the method including the steps of:

obtaining an address for the first RIM or the remote terminal;

converting the programming terminal output signals to a format suitablefor transmission via a data network;

establishing a data connexion between the programming terminal and theRIM via a data network using the address of the RIM;

establishing communication between the RIM and the remote terminal;

transmitting data from the programming terminal to the first RIM;

in the RIM, converting the data to a remote terminal format used inprogramming and configuring the remote terminal;

transmitting the remote terminal format information to the remoteterminal.

The address of the first RIM or remote terminal can be stored in a RIMaddress list accessible via the data network.

The address of the RIM/remote terminal can be stored in a RIM addresslist stored in the programming terminal.

The programming terminal output signals include time-dependentinformation, the method including: time-stamping the time-dependentinformation.

The method can include the step of reconstituting the time-dependentinformation at the first RIM for transmission to the remote terminal.

The invention also provides a system for transmitting time dependentinformation across a data network, including:

a data network having a network protocol;

modem emulator adapted to convert serial data to the data networkprotocol and adapted to capture time-dependent information;

the modem emulator being connected to the edge of the network;

a remote network interface connected to the edge of the network;

data conversion means connected to the remote network interface andadapted to reconstitute the time-dependent information and the serialdata.

The invention further provides a method of transmitting time dependentserial information across a data network, including: adding time stampsto at least the time-dependent information; converting the informationand associated time-stamps to the network protocol; transmitting theinformation in network protocol format across the network to adestination terminal; and reconstituting the serial information usingthe time-stamps to recreate the time-dependent information.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a communications system foruse with an existing panel of the type which is adapted to use atelephone line as its primary communications path, the communicationssystem providing the existing panel with a path through a data network,the communications system including:

a data network having a network protocol;

a programming terminal associated with:

modem emulator functionality adapted to convert serial data to the datanetwork protocol;

the programming terminal including programming software enabling theterminal to transmit serial data via the emulator and the network to aremote terminal;

the remote terminal including:

a network interface;

telephone intercept means adapted to interface with the existing panel;

the existing panel including ring detection means adapted to detect ringsignal from the telephone intercept and to activate a voice frequencydata modem associated with the existing panel;

a programmable data store;

and processor means adapted to enter and retrieve data from the store.

The emulator is adapted to process time-dependent information fortransmission; and wherein the phone intercept is adapted to reconstitutethe real time information for transmission to the existing panel

The present invention is not limited in applicability to systems inwhich the remote terminal is a burglar alarm, although the high degreeof flexibility offered by the invention is particularly advantageous inthis context. Other uses for the invention include remote programmingaccess via IP and cellular data networks to access control systems,building management systems, automatic vending machine and the like thatsupport remote access via dial up analog data modems using the PSTN.

The communication system can include a management terminal.

The management terminal can contain a store of one or more sets ofprogramming instructions, each adapted to preform a programming orconfiguration function at a remote terminal, the management terminalbeing responsive to a corresponding instruction from a programmingterminal to transmit a selected one of the sets of programminginstructions to a selected remote terminal.

A programming terminal can be adapted for use in the communicationsystem.

The programming terminal can include modem emulation functionality orsoftware.

The programming terminal can include a store of one or more sets ofprogramming instructions, each adapted to preform a programming orconfiguration function at a remote terminal, the programming terminalbeing adapted to initiate a selected one of the sets of programminginstructions in response to a corresponding input instruction.

The customer terminal can include VoIP functionality, the customerterminal being adapted to distinguish between alarm communications andVoIP communications from the remote terminal, and to direct alarmcommunications to the alarm system and to transmit VoIP communicationsto a VoIP network.

The customer terminal can include phone number recognition means adaptedto recognize alarm communications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an alarm communication system which shows the mannerin which alarm systems are configured over the PSTN using analog datamodems;

FIG. 2 illustrates a number of embodiments of the invention using acustomer terminal and IP networks;

FIG. 3 describes the message flow associated with one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 describes the message flow associated with the embodiment of theinvention that avoids the use of a common server or Management Terminal;

FIG. 5 is a block schematic illustration of an interface unit which canbe used as a Customer Terminal or Modem Emulator adapted to beconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a path connexion chart;

FIG. 7 is a schematic functional block diagram of a computer terminalsuitable for use in the inventive system;

FIG. 8 is a schematic functional block diagram of the ManagementTerminal and database used to store and download configurations viastandard user interfaces such as web browsers;

FIG. 9 illustrates an arrangement for programming an alarm panel using aprogramming terminal connected via the PSTN;

FIG. 10 illustrates an arrangement for programming an alarm panel usinga programming terminal connected via an IP network

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OR EMBODIMENTS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an alarm system 102 which is adapted to localconfiguration using a serial interface and for remote configurationusing an analog data modem over the PSTN. This will be described by wayof providing a context for the invention.

The known Alarm System (102) comprises a Microprocessor (103) andassociated memory which connects to one or more sensors (not shown), oneor more Keypads (106), a serial interface (109) for local configurationvia a (laptop) PC, a Dialler/Modem Circuit (104), a Relay (107) used toselectively connect the PSTN line (112) to an external Telephone set(108) or to the Dialler/Modem circuit (104) and a Ring Detector circuit(105).

Generally the alarm system (102) sends alarm messages to a control roomto be displayed on a computer terminal (124). The messages are sent bythe Microprocessor (103) using the Dialler/Modem Circuit (104) which isconnected to the PSTN (113) via the telephone line (112) thru Relay RL1(107). Microprocessor (103) first switches Relay RL1 (107) to position 2then instructs Dialler/Modem Circuit (104) to dial up the phone numberof the control room over the PSTN (113), which rings phone line 114. Thecall is answered by the PSTN Receiver (122), which terminates the calland communicates with the Dialler/Modem Circuit (104) to receive thealarm message. The message is then sent from the PSTN Receiver (122) tothe computer terminal (124) to be displayed to the control roomoperator. When the call is completed, the Microprocessor (103) hangs upand switches Relay RL1 (107) back to position 1.

The local configuration of alarm systems that support the modificationof their configuration via a local serial interface (109) using aProgramming Terminal, such as a PC or laptop PC is carried out by atechnician or user employing dedicated software (local and remoteconfiguration software application), versions of which are commerciallyavailable (such as the Titan software available to configure the Tecomrange of GE alarm panels sold in Australia).

To modify the configuration of the alarm system from a remote site, atechnician or user employs a Programming Terminal (134) and dedicatedsoftware (remote configuration software application), versions of whichare commercially available (such as the Titan software available toconfigure the Tecom range of GE alarm panels sold in Australia) and adial-up analog data Modem (132) connected to the PSTN (113) via thetelephone line (115). The dial-up analog data modem (132) may beinternal to the Programming Terminal (134) or be connected to it via aknown serial data link (135).

To initiate the configuration download, the dial-up analog data modem(132) is instructed by the Programming Terminal (134) and associatedsoftware to dial the Alarm System (102) over the PSTN (113) optionallyusing a special ring pattern which is described below in the case that aphone (108) or answering machine is connected to the Alarm System (102).This results in phone line (112) ringing. This condition is flagged byRing Detector (105) to the Microprocessor (103), which switches RelayRL1 (107) to position 2 and instructs the Dialler/Modem Circuit (104) toanswer the call and connect the modem to the line, thus establishing adata connexion with analog data Modem (132). Using the software on theProgramming Terminal 134, the user or technician logs into the AlarmSystem (102) and modifies the configuration as required. When themaintenance session concludes, the Programming Terminal (134) andassociated software instruct the dial-up analog data modem (132) to hangup which causes the Alarm System to hang up and causes relay 107 toreturn to position 1.

Other variations are possible on the above, such as:

When the Alarm System (102) receives a call, it optionally answers thecall then hangs up a short while later (say 1 Second) and then calls apre-determined number to initiate remote programming.

To initiate remote programming of the Alarm System (102), a user pressesa button on the Keypad (106) which initiates a call to a pre-determinednumber to commence remote programming.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative block diagram showing elements of a networkconnexion between an alarm panel 102, a control room terminal 124, aprogramming terminal 134, and a management terminal 228 using datanetwork 222. Optional connexions via PSTN 113 are illustrated in dashedoutline.

The elements of FIG. 2 are listed in Table 1.

TABLE 1 FIGURE 2 ITEMS No. Item 102 Alarm Panel (AP) 103 APmicroprocessor 104 Dialer/Modem 105 Ring Detector 106 Keypad 107 APRelay 108 Telephone 109 AP (Local) Serial Programming Interface 112 PSTNLine 113 PSTN 114 Control Room PSTN Line 115 PT PSTN line 122 PSTNReceiver 123 Control Room Terminal Link 124 Control Room Terminal (CRT)201 Internal Phone line 202 Customer Terminal (CT) 203 CT Relay 204 CTAnalog Phone Interface 205 CT IP Network Interface 207 CT Microprocessor208 CT Local Serial Interface 209 AP to CT Local Serial Interconnection132 PT PSTN Modem 134 Programming Terminal (PT) 212 CT Data Link 222Data Network (DN) 224 225 MT PSTN Line 226 MT PSTN Modem 227 MT ModemLink 228 Management Terminal (MT) 229 MT Data Network Link 232 PT DataNetwork Serial Modem Emulator 233 PT Data Link 242 CRT IP Receiver 243CRT Link 263 Internet Service Provider (ISP)

A first embodiment of the invention provides a method and arrangementfor programming a remote terminal such as alarm panel 102 via a datanetwork 222 using one or more system terminals such as managementterminal 228, control room terminal 122, and maintenance or programmingterminal 134.

Control room terminal 124 is connected to data network 222 via links 243and 241 and IP receiver 242. Management terminal 228 is connected todata network 222 via link 229. Customer gateway 202 is connected to thedata network 222 via link 212. Customer Terminal 202 can be connected tothe alarm panel 102 via an internal phone line 201 and/or a serialconnexion 209.

In FIG. 2, a Customer Terminal or gateway 202 is adapted to connect thealarm panel 102 to a data network 222 via an analog phone interface 204or serial interface 208 and IP network interface 205 and link 212. Datanetwork 222 can be, for example an IP LAN or an IP WAN. From network222, connexions can be set up to the control room terminal 124, themanagement terminal 228 and the programming terminal 134.

Management terminal 228 is in communication with network 222 via link229. Programming terminal 134 can communicate with the Data network 222via direct link 233 or serial modem emulator 232. Control room terminal124 is in communication with the data network 222 via links 241 and 243and IP receiver 242.

The control room terminal 124 can communicate with the managementterminal 228 and with the customer gateway 202 via the data network 222.Communication between the control room terminal 124 and the gateway 202can be adapted to be via the management terminal 228 or to bypass themanagement terminal 228.

While the control room terminal 124 or the management terminal 228 canbe used to program the alarm panel, one or more additional programmingterminals 134 can be used to carry out maintenance and programmingfunctions.

Optionally a switch 203 is associated with the gateway 202 to provide analternative PSTN connexion via line 112 and PSTN network 113 to thecontrol room terminal 124, programming terminal 134, and the managementterminal 228. Network 113 and its associated links are shown in dashedform to indicate their optional nature.

The customer gateway 202 is connected to the PSTN 113 via line 112. Thecontrol room terminal 124 can be connected to the PSTN via line 114 andPSTN receiver 122 which is adapted to intermediate between the terminal124 and the PSTN 113. The programming terminal 134 is connected to thePSTN 113 via links 135 and 115 and modem 132. The management terminal228 is connected to the PSTN via line 225 and modem 226.

In the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2, there are a number ofalternative configurations for connecting the various terminals, andsome of these are shown for illustrative purposes in the chart of FIG.6. Each row of FIG. 6 indicates elements of FIG. 2 available for settingup a potential communication link between two or more terminalsincluding the alarm panel 102, the control room terminal 124, theprogramming terminal 134, and the management terminal 228. In the chartof FIG. 6, the row 602 indicates the reference number of the elements ofFIG. 2, and the column 604 indicates terminal reference numbers. Thelast three columns are also terminal references from FIG. 2.

For the sake of explanation two such connexions 606 and 608 will bedescribed in detail using numerical references to indicate the sequenceof connexions. While all connexions are capable of bi-directionalcommunication, only one direction is indicated by the numericalsequence. A first connexion can be established between alarm panel 102and control room terminal 124 via PSTN 113 and relay 203. This isindicated in the first row of the chart of FIG. 6 in which the numeral 1indicates alarm panel relay, 2 indicates the customer gateway relay 203.Internal phone line 201 has been omitted to reduce the number ofintegers in the chart for reasons of clarity. 3 indicates the phone line112. 4 indicates the PSTN 113. 5 indicates PSTN line 114. 6 indicatesPSTN receiver 122. 7 indicates link 123, and 8 indicates control roomterminal 124.

Similarly, row 608 illustrates a further connexion from alarm panel 102to control room terminal 124 via management terminal 228, the numbers 1to 16 indicating the network elements involved. This connexion utilizesboth the data network 222 at step 6 and the PSTN 113 at step 12, and isprovided to indicate the flexibility of the system in establishing pathsbetween terminals. The system provides communication between any of theterminals if one of the links between a terminal and one networks is notfunctional. Thus, if any of the elements 241, 242, 243 were notfunctional, path 606 could be used to interconnect terminals 102, 228,and 124. Further, programming terminal 134 could also be included viaeither the data network 222 or the PSTN 113.

Additional paths can also be established. For example, a similar pathinvolving the alarm panel 102, the gateway 202, the data network 222,the management terminal 228, the PSTN 113, and the programming terminal134 can also be set up.

Other possible connexions are indicated by “X's” to reduce the visualcomplexity of the chart.

Further links and protocol adaptors (not shown) can be provided betweenthe PSTN 113 and the data network 228 to provide further flexibility.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below. Other embodimentsare possible, and will become apparent to the person skilled in thetechnology.

The Customer Terminal (202) connects to one or more IP networks (222),via one or more access legs (212) including wireline—Cable, xDSL andFibre, as well as wireless—WiMax, GPRS, HSDPA and the like. This allowsthe Alarm System (102) which is connected to the Customer Terminal (202)to communicate over these networks and optionally over the PSTN as theCustomer Terminal (202) may also be connected to the PSTN (113) via atelephone line (112).

The Customer Terminal (202) is described in more detail below withreference to FIG. 5.

Relay RL2 (203), if provided, is used to selectively connect the PSTNoutput of the Alarm System (102) to the Customer Terminal's (202) AnalogPhone Interface (204) or to the PSTN line (112).

It can be used, for example to connect the Alarm System's (102) PSTNoutput to the Telephone Line (112) to provide a PSTN path for remoteprogramming under operator or automatic control (124), and to provide abackup path for alarm messages from the Alarm System (102) should theCustomer Terminal (202) be unable to deliver the message to the controlComputer Terminal (124) via the various IP networks (222) to which it isconnected.

The Analog Phone Interface (204) implements an FXS (foreign exchangesubscriber) phone port which emulates the telephone line to the AlarmSystem (102). It generates feed Voltage (−48 Volts or as required by theDAA circuit on the Alarm System (102)) and generates dial tone when theAlarm System's (102) PSTN port transitions to the off-hook state. Inaddition, it includes an embedded analog data modem to communicate withthe Alarm System.

The IP Network Interface (205) receives data from the Analog PhoneInterface (204) and optionally encrypts it using a known data encryptionalgorithm such as 3DES or AES and converts it into a suitable IP format(such as UDP or TCP/IP) for transmission over the IP network (222) tothe IP Receiver (242) or to the Management Terminal (228).

The invention will be explained using the following exemplaryembodiments.

One exemplary embodiment uses the IP network (222) to support the remoteconfiguration of the Alarm System (102). The user or technician usesProgramming Terminal 134 to access the IP network (222) via a serialModem Emulator (232) which is connected to the Programming Terminal(134) thru a known serial data connexion. The remote configurationsoftware application (dedicated software), which is used whenconfiguring the Alarm System (102) over the PSTN executes on theProgramming Terminal (134) and communicates with the Modem Emulator(232) as if it were a standard serial analog modem using the known Hayesmodem messaging interface. The Modem Emulator (232) sends the messagesreceived from the Programming Terminal (134) including timestampinformation where message timing needs to be maintained across thenetwork, as one or more IP messages over the IP network (222) to theManagement Terminal (228) in a secure encrypted manner (using AES256 andthe like). The Management Terminal (228) translates the phone number orother unique identifier, such as Customer Terminal (202) serial numbercontained in the serial modem dial-up string into the IP address of thespecific Customer Terminal (202) using database look up tables, or theknown Dynamic DNS method whereby the phone number or unique identifier(these are entered into the Management Terminal's (228) database duringthe activation of the customer's service, which includes CustomerTerminal (202) data), is mapped to the IP address of the CustomerTerminal (202) by a Dynamic DNS process running for example on theManagement Terminal (228). The Management Terminal (228) maintains theDynamic DNS tables up to date to reflect any changes to the IP addressof the Customer Terminal (202) by constantly polling the CustomerTerminals (202) or by receiving heartbeat messages from the CustomerTerminals (202). The Management Terminal (228) then sends a message overthe IP network (222) (which may be sent over wireline or wireless) tothe nominated Customer Terminal (202) instructing it to generate ringsignal on its Analog Phone Interface (204). When the Alarm System (102)answers the call, the Customer Terminal (202) attempts to connect itsmodem (a component of the Analog Line Interface—204) to that of theAlarm System (102). If the connexion is successful, then the CustomerTerminal (202) reports back over the IP network (222) to the ManagementTerminal (228), which in turn reports back to the Programming Terminal(134) in a manner compatible with a serial modem that allows thesoftware application running on the Programming Terminal (134) toproceed to configure the Alarm System (102) over the IP (or cellular)path.

Should an IP connexion to the Customer Terminal (202) not be possible,or if the Alarm System (102) does not answer the call from the CustomerTerminal (202), then the Programming Terminal (134) is notified by theManagements Terminal (228) via the Modem Emulator (232) using the knownHayes modem message set that the connexion is unavailable.

Examples of the message flows described above are given in FIG. 3 whichillustrates the following three scenarios, although other messages canbe used that achieve the same outcome. The implementation of theinvention is independent of the exact messaging used.

Scenario 1 is the IP path setup message sequence shown by the group ofmessages numbered 310. At step 340, terminal 134 sends a serial (ASCII)message in the form ATDT12345 (this is an example of the use of theknown Hayes modem protocol, where the command ATDTnnnn instructs theanalog modem to go off hook and dial the number nnnn on its PSTNinterface using the known DTMF signalling) to Modem Emulator 232. Theemulator converts this message to IP format and retransmits it toManagement Terminal 228 at step 344. The management terminal than sendsa “generate ring” command to the Customer Terminal 202 at step 346. Thecustomer gateway 202 generates a ring signal, which can be a specialring pattern as described below, which is transmitted to the alarm panel102 over interconnecting line 201 at step 348. The ring detector 105recognizes the ring signal (which may be the special ring pattern) andnotifies the microprocessor 103. The alarm panel responds by switchingrelay 107 to position 2 and going off-hook at step 350 and thiscondition is detected by the analog phone interface 204 in gateway 202.The customer terminal 202 then connects its modem (a component of theanalog phone interface 204) via the interconnecting line 201 to thealarm panel at step 352, and the alarm panel responds by connecting itsmodem (104) in step 354. It is worth noting that the exact sequence ofevents may vary while resulting in the same outcome. The successfulconnexion of the Customer Terminal's modem (204) to the Alarm System'smodem (104) is notified to the Management Terminal 228 at step 356. TheManagement Terminal 228 then sends the known Hayes ASCII message“CONNECT 300” (or more generally CONNECT xxxx, where xxxx represents theserial connexion speed in bits/Second) or equivalent message to theprogramming terminal 134 via serial modem emulator 232 at steps 358 and360. The modem emulator 232 serves to mediate between the serial dataand instructions on the programming terminal 134 side of the emulatorand the IP data and instructions on the network 222 side.

320 indicates Scenario 2. This is the data transfer stage in steps 362to 372 where the data from the Programming Terminal (134) flows thru theModem Emulator (232) directly to the Customer Terminal (202) over the IPNetwork (222) and then from the Customer Terminal (202) to the AlarmSystem (102) over analog data modem link and the responses from theAlarm System (102) to the Programming Terminal (134) flow in theopposite direction. It is worth noting that while the data is shown tobypass the Management Terminal (228), in an alternative embodiment ofthe invention all the messages between the Programming Terminal (134)and the Customer Terminal (202) are routed via the Management Terminal228. In some cases there can be advantages in having the data go thruthe Management Terminal (228). For example, accessing the CustomerTerminal (202) via the Management Terminal (228) hides the CustomerTerminal (202) from the technician at the Programming Terminal (134)making the alarm system (102) more secure from unauthorised access viathe network.

330 indicates Scenario 3 which details in steps 374 to 386 thetermination of the data session from the Programming Terminal (134). Thesession terminates when the remote configuration software applicationexecuting on the Programming Terminal (134) issues the known Hayesescape sequence which generally comprises a predefined pause in the datatransfer followed by three ASCII “+” symbols followed by a further pausein the data transfer. This is followed by the remote configurationsoftware application issuing the hang-up command, at step 374 shown inthis case by using the known Hayes “ATH0” command. This instructs theManagement Terminal (228) to send the Customer Terminal (202) a messageto disconnect the modem, which results in the Alarm System (102) hangingup the line and terminating the session.

Other session termination mechanisms are possible, for example, when theAlarm System (102) hangs up as a prelude to sending an alarm message,the Customer Terminal (202) notifies the Modem Emulator (232) whichnotifies the Programming Terminal (134) using the appropriate Hayescompatible (or another appropriate) message.

The interpretation, processing and IP encapsulation of the data from theProgramming Terminal (134), including the modem commands using the knownHayes modem communication protocol is preferably implemented by theModem Emulator (232) or equivalent software function executing on theProgramming Terminal (134) (enhanced terminal server). This is becausethe data and the modem communication protocol use time criticalcharacter sequences which need to be reproduced at the Alarm System(102) by the Customer Terminal (202).

One such character sequence is used to switch the modem in the CustomerTerminal (202) to command mode which uses the following time sensitivesequence: a pause in data transmission for a period in excess of onesecond followed by the sending of three consecutive ‘+’ (plus) symbolsfollowed by a second pause in the data transmission of at least onesecond.

Generally transmission across data networks, and especially wirelessdata networks associated with cellular phone networks are highly bursty.By processing the data at the source as it leaves the ProgrammingTerminal (134) and prior to sending it to the Management Terminal (228)or the Customer Terminal (202) ensures that the timing informationassociated with the message is retained when the data is regenerated atthe Customer Terminal (202).

The timing relationship between characters is maintained by for example,the timestamping of each character by the Modem Emulator (232) orequivalent software function executing on the Programming Terminal (134)(enhanced terminal server) as it is received from the ProgrammingTerminal (134). If the inter-character gap is less than one charactertime, then the character is concatenated to the transmit buffer. Oncethe size of the buffer reaches a certain size, or the gap after the lastreceived character exceeds the character time (time-out), the contentsof the buffer are transmitted as the payload of an IP packet with atimestamp or sequence number. This allows the character sequence andtiming of the message to be reconstituted at the Customer Terminal(202).

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the signalling which is a variation ofthat detailed above. In this embodiment the Programming Terminal (134)and the Customer Terminal (202) communicate directly over the IP Network(222) (or thru the Modem Emulator (232)) and not via the ManagementTerminal (228) or some other intermediate terminal.

Scenario 1 is the IP path setup message sequence shown by the group ofmessages numbered 410. At step 440, Programming Terminal 134 sends aserial (ASCII) message in the form ATDT12345 (this is an example of theuse of the known Hayes modem protocol, where the command ATDTnnnninstructs the analog modem to go off hook and dial the number mum on itsPSTN interface using the known DTMF signalling) to Modem Emulator 232.The Modem Emulator 232 converts this message to an equivalent messageencapsulated in an IP format and retransmits it to the Customer Terminal202 at step 444. Up on receiving this message, the customer Terminal 202generates a ring signal, which can be a special ring pattern asdescribed below, which is transmitted to the alarm panel 102 overinterconnecting line 201 at step 448. The ring detector 105 recognizesthe ring signal (which may be the special ring pattern) and notifies themicroprocessor 103. The alarm panel responds by switching relay 107 toposition 2 and going off-hook at step 450 and this condition is detectedby the analog phone interface 204 in gateway 202. The customer terminal202 then connects its modem (a component of the analog phone interface204) via the interconnecting line 201 to the alarm panel at step 452,and the alarm panel responds by connecting its modem (104) in step 454.It is worth noting that the exact sequence of events may vary whileresulting in the same outcome. For example, the modem connexion sequencemay be different in that the Alarm System (102) may connect its modem atthe same time it goes off hook. The successful connexion of the CustomerTerminal's modem (204) to the Alarm System's modem (104) is notified tothe Modem Emulator (232) at step 458. The Modem Emulator (232) thensends the known Hayes ASCII message “CONNECT 300” (or more generallyCONNECT xxxx, where xxxx represents the serial connexion speed inbits/Second) or equivalent message to the Programming Terminal 134 atsteps 460. The Modem Emulator 232 serves to mediate between the serialdata and instructions on the Programming Terminal 134 side of theemulator and the IP data and instructions on the network 222 side.

420 indicates Scenario 2. This is the data transfer stage in steps 462to 472 where the data from the Programming Terminal (134) flows thru theModem Emulator (232) directly to the Customer Terminal (202) over the IPNetwork (222) and then from the Customer Terminal (202) to the AlarmSystem (102) over analog data modem link and the responses from theAlarm System (102) to the Programming Terminal (134) flow in theopposite direction.

430 indicates Scenario 3 which details in steps 474 to 486 thetermination of the data session from the Programming Terminal (134). Thesession terminates when the remote configuration software applicationexecuting on the Programming Terminal (134) issues the known Hayesescape sequence which generally comprises a predefined pause in the datatransfer followed by three ASCII “+” symbols followed by a further pausein the data transfer. This is followed by the remote configurationsoftware application issuing the hang-up command, at step 474 shown inthis case by using the known Hayes “ATH0” command. This instructs theCustomer Terminal (202) to send a message to disconnect the modem, whichresults in the Alarm System (102) hanging up the line and terminatingthe session.

It will be clear to one skilled in the art that the signalling schemebetween the elements of the invention described in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 canbe distributed differently without materially affecting the operation ofthe system.

This embodiment would generally be used over a private IP network wherethe Customer Terminal (202) is configured with a static IP address andhence is known in advance. The embodiment can also be used inconjunction with a public dynamic DNS server, however it may not be assecure as using a Management Terminal (228).

A further exemplary embodiment involves the optional relay 203 whichenables an authorized remote user or technician to gain access to thealarm system via the PSTN 113. This embodiment uses change-over relay203 to select between the PSTN line 112 and the data link 212. The PSTN(113) can be used to support the remote configuration of the AlarmSystem (102) by using point-to-point dial up VF modems to establish aremote data connexion. The control room operator enables the remoteconfiguration by using Computer Terminal (124) (or equivalent) tocommunicate with the Management Terminal (228) via the IP Receiver (242)or other means and instructs it to command the Customer Terminal (202)via link 229, data network 222 and link 212 to set Relay RL2 (203) toposition 1. This enables the remote user or technician using ProgrammingTerminal (134) to dial up the Alarm System (102) directly over the PSTN(113) using an analog data modem (132). When the Alarm System (102)answers the call, a data session is established between ProgrammingTerminal (134) and the Alarm System (102). When the remote configurationhas been completed, the control room operator disables remoteconfiguration by using computer terminal (124) to communicate with theManagement Terminal (228) via the IP Receiver (242) or other means andinstructs it to command the Customer Terminal (202) to set Relay RL2(203) to position 2. Relay RL2 (203) can also revert to position 2 bydetecting that the Alarm System (102) has un-looped the line.

As a variation on the above, the Customer Terminal (202) can beconfigured to automatically set Relay RL2 (203) to position 1 inresponse to a special ring pattern.

The special ring pattern can comprise of a timed ring burst, followed bya break of say up to 30 seconds, followed by a further ring burst.

The special ring pattern can be initiated by an instruction from theprogramming terminal (134) to modem 132. This eliminates the need foroperator intervention via terminal 124.

A further exemplary embodiment uses the IP network (222) to support theremote configuration of the Alarm System (102). The user or technicianuses Programming Terminal 134 to access the IP network (222) via adirect IP connexion (233) such as xDSL or WiMax. The remoteconfiguration software application, which is used when configuring theAlarm System (102) over the PSTN, communicates via an enhanced terminalserver software application that executes on the Programming Terminal(134). The enhanced terminal server application emulates one or morestandard serial communications ports on the Programming Terminal (134),terminates the modem communication protocol, converts the data to IPpackets and records the data stream and associated timing from theProgramming Terminal (134) to the Alarm System (102) to be stored in theManagement Terminal's (228) database. This software application takesthe place of the Modem Emulator (232) described in the exemplaryembodiment detailed above, and uses identical messaging (see FIG. 3 andFIG. 4). The emulation of multiple standard serial communications portson the Programming Terminal (134) by the enhanced terminal serverapplication, allows the user or technician to run multiple instances ofthe remote configuration software application on the one ProgrammingTerminal (134) and concurrently remotely configure multiple alarmsystems avoiding the need to use multiple phone lines or multipleProgramming Terminals.

The Modem Emulator (232) has an associated serial identifier that can beregistered with the Management Terminal (228) to provide additionalsecurity. Similarly, the enhanced terminal server software applicationcan be supplied with a security dongle to be connected to theProgramming Terminal (134) to achieve the same goal.

Another exemplary embodiment has the Programming Terminal (134)establishing a direct (point-to-point) IP connexion with the ManagementTerminal (228) via a PSTN dial-up line. The connexion from theProgramming Terminal (134) uses a dial up modem (132) to connect thruthe PSTN (113) to a dial up modem (226) at the Management Terminal(228). Once the IP connexion is established, the operation is asdescribed in the above exemplary embodiments.

Another exemplary embodiment has the Programming Terminal (134)establishing an IP connexion with the Management Terminal (228) over theinternet using a PSTN dial-up line. The connexion from the ProgrammingTerminal (134) uses a dial up modem (132) to connect thru the PSTN (113)to an internet service provider (ISP) 263, which provides the connexioninto the IP network (222). Once the IP connexion is established, theoperation is as described in the exemplary embodiments described above.

The embodiments described can be applied whether the IP Network (222) isimplemented over the internet or a private network. The ProgrammingTerminal (134), the Management Terminal (228), IP Receiver (242), PSTNreceiver (122) and the control room terminal 124 can be co-located orgeographically distributed.

The Modem Emulator's (232) serial interface setting, including speed canbe set by configuring the unit via its Ethernet interface (510) by forexample, using a web browser to surf to a configuration web pageimplemented in the Modem Emulator (232). A further refinement can beimplemented in which the Modem Emulator (232) is adapted to autodiscover the Programming Terminal's (134) serial interface speed usingknown auto baud rate detection techniques.

Generally the serial link speed is determined by the Alarm System (102).A major advantage of this invention is that the connexion between theProgramming Terminal (134) and the Modem Emulator (232) can be set toany speed being the same or greater than the speed at which the AlarmSystem (102) communicates with the Customer Terminal (202) and use theCustomer Terminal (202) to buffer the data being down loaded to theAlarm System (102).

Alarm Systems (102) generally use dial up modems that operate at lowspeeds for remote configuration (generally below 9600 bits/Second) whichdo not take advantage of modern high speed communications systems. Thefollowing embodiment illustrates the way the invention allows higherdata rates to be used to remotely configure alarm panels that support alocal serial configuration interface (109).

Alarm Systems (102) that support local configuration via a serial datainterface (109) can be remotely configured using this invention byconnecting their local serial configuration port (109) via a serialcable (209) to the serial interface (208) on the Customer Terminal(202). This provides a direct virtual data connexion from theProgramming Terminal (134) thru to the Customer Terminal (202) and thento the Alarm System (102) via a number of possible routes thru thenetwork as illustrated by FIG. 6, some are point-to-point and some viathe Management Terminal (228).

As this embodiment simulates a direct local connexion between theProgramming Terminal (134) and the Alarm System (102), the establishmentof the virtual path between the Programming Terminal (134) and theCustomer Terminal (202) associated with the Alarm System (102) iscarried out by several means, including:

Direct programming of the destination (IP) address of the CustomerTerminal (202) into the Modem Emulator (232) or into the enhancedterminal server application executing on the Programming Terminal (134)via the Programming Terminal (134) or other means, such as remoteconfiguration;

The implementation of a web server application on the ManagementTerminal (228) that identifies the Customer Terminal (202) based onselection criteria (such as unique customer account number or site ID)entered by the user via a web browser from say the Programming Terminal(134) or other. The web server application provides data that can beused to either manually or automatically configure the destination (IP)address of the Customer Terminal (202) into the Modem Emulator (232) orinto the enhanced terminal server application executing on theProgramming Terminal (134);

A major benefit of this invention is that the Management Terminal (228)can store a number of Alarm System (102) configurations in its database(810), allowing end customers or technicians to access the ManagementTerminal (228) directly or by dialling into the data network (222) usingknown web browser software executing on a standard computer such as theProgramming Terminal (134) connected to the data network (222) insteadof using a dedicated remote configuration software application runningon a Programming Terminal (134). By accessing the Management Terminal(228) using a web browser running on a Programming Terminal (134), endcustomers or technicians can select the Alarm System (102) or otherlegacy terminal device and down load the configuration data filedirectly, avoiding the need to maintain an active session per AlarmSystem (102) on the Programming Terminal (134), as each web browserwindow communicates with an Alarm System (102). This also provides acentralised configuration database which is easier to maintain andbackup.

The Alarm System (102) configurations are captured using a softwareapplication which forms part of the Modem Emulator (232) or enhancedterminal server software executing on the Programming Terminal (134)which records a data download session from the Programming Terminal(134) to the Alarm System (102) and stores the data stream andassociated timing in the Management Terminal's database (810) to bereplayed directly (and with the same timing characteristics) at a laterstage from the management Terminal (228).

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 delivers an added benefit in that itallows the one Customer Terminal (202) to be used to communicate bothalarm traffic using secure IP messaging and telephone traffic using theknown VoIP standards.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, when Relay RL1 (107) is in position 1 andrelay 204 is in position 2, the phone (108) is connected to the AnalogPhone Interface (204) on the Customer Terminal (202). This allows theCustomer Terminal (202) to carry voice calls on to the IP network (222).The Customer Terminal (202) uses the number dialled to determine whetherthe call represents an alarm message by for example, comparing thenumber dialled against a lookup table associated with the NetworkProcessor (512). The alarm message is encrypted by the Network Processor(512) and sent to the IP Receiver (242). In the event of a voice call,the call is encapsulated into IP by the Network Processor (512) usingthe known VoIP standards and routed to a known VoIP gateway with theassociated SIP or other signalling.

FIG. 5 details the block diagram of the Customer Terminal (Item 202 inFIG. 2), which also operates as a Modem Emulator (232) when connectedvia its serial interface to the Programming Terminal (134). The PSTNemulation port 504 is a two-wire port providing a known FXS connexion tothe Alarm System (FIG. 1 Item 102) and to an analog telephone (see FIG.1 Item 108). The generation and interpretation of the PSTN emulationsignals are implemented by the Analog Phone Interface 506, whichgenerates the feed voltage, dial tone, ring pattern, special ringpattern, busy tone, CLI signals and the like and also interprets thephone number dialled by the Alarm System (102) or telephone (108) usingthe known DTMF dialling codes, hook flash and other signals emanatingfrom the Alarm System (FIG. 1 Item 102) or phone (108). In addition, theinterface is equipped with an analog data modem able to originate andterminate data calls and a serial data interface to alarm panels (102)(using serial cable 209), PCs and the like.

The Customer Terminal interface 508 to the PSTN allows the unit to:

Provide a fall back path to the PSTN should the unit fail, or in theevent that both the IP and cellular paths fail;

Interface to the telephone line for the purpose of terminating the ADSLsignal from the central office;

Customer Gateway Ethernet interface 510 has a dual role. When theCustomer Terminal is used as the customer's broadband gateway, theEthernet port (510) is used to connect the customer's computers andother devices to the broadband network. Should the customer usealternative means to connect to the broadband network, then the Ethernetport (510) is used to connect the Customer Terminal to the broadbandnetwork to facilitate communications over the WAN, including VoIP calls.

POTS Splitter 520 is provided to remove the ADSL (or VDSL2) tones fromthe telephone line when the Customer Terminal is used as an ADSL (orVDSL2) modem.

ADSL (or VDSL2) modem 518 terminates the ADSL (or VDSL2) signals fromthe Central Office when the Customer Terminal is used as an ADSL (orVDSL2) modem.

Cellular or WiMax modem 516 is used to communicate over wireless IPnetworks including GPRS, HSDPA/HSUPA and WiMax.

Network Processor 512 is a microprocessor complete with CPU, memory anda unique ID device, which may be integrated on to the processor chip. Itimplements a number of functions, including but not limited to:

The signalling associated with VoIP call set up and completion over thebroadband and cellular IP networks;

The encoding and decoding associated with VoIP calls;

Implementation of the commands sent by the Management Terminal (228);

Monitoring and reporting of cellular signal strength;

Support local and remote customer service configuration and remotesoftware download;

Encryption and transmission of alarm messages;

Phone number decoding and interpretation.

The unique ID can be used by the Management Terminal (228) to uniquelyidentify the Customer Terminal to prevent spoofing. When the CustomerTerminal device is used as a Modem Emulator (232), the unique ID is usedto register it with the Management Terminal (228) to provided increasedsecurity.

Customer Terminal power supply 514 is generally powered from the ACmains using either a wall mounted transformer (plug-pack) or an internalsupply. An optional backup battery such as a sealed Lead Acid batterymay be used which is charged from the mains supply via power supply 514can be used to ensure that the system continues to operate in the eventof a mains failure.

The above description describes an invention that supports the down loadof configuration data to an Alarm System via an IP network. Optionally,provision is made to carry out the down load over the PSTN. It can beseen that the invention also supports the down load of configurationdata to an Alarm System via an IP network, where the interface to theAlarm System is via a serial or other data port.

FIG. 8 details the functional diagram of the Management Terminal. TheManagement Terminal (228) interfaces to the data network (222) and henceto the Programming Terminal (134) via the IP interface (813). Receivedmessages are processed by the Management Terminal (228). Any commands tothe Customer Terminal (202), such as send ring etc. are handled by theCommand Interface (814).

Copies of down loaded files and their associated timing characteristicscan be stored in the Management Terminal's database (810), and can beaccessed via a web browser or other means by using an Alarm System (102)identifier, such as customer account number.

Direct access to the Management Terminal (228) via the PSTN is thru theserial interface (815) which connects to a standard VF modem (as shownin FIG. 2).

The Web Server (811) provides access via the IP network (222) to datafiles containing Alarm System (102) configuration information. These areheld in the Management Terminal's database (810). Users or technicianscan access the data using a web browser that connects to the Web Server(811) and choose to download the data into one or more nominated AlarmSystems (102) or modify the data prior to downloading. These files formmacro commands to the Alarm System, allowing complex operations such asmulti-zone arming and disarming to be done simply and securely from aweb browser.

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a programming terminal 10.34 withassociated modem emulation functionality 10.32 connected to an IPnetwork 10.22. The modem emulation functionality can be provided bysoftware within the terminal 10.14, or it can be provided by separateequipment. At the alarm panel end, the customer terminal 10.202 canprovide the modem emulation function 10.03 and the modem functionality10.04 to connect the alarm panel 10.02 to the data network.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of providing remote configurationaccess for a programming terminal via a data network having a networkprotocol, to one or more remote terminals, the programming terminalbeing adapted to program said one or more remote terminals via switchedtelephone network (PSTN) using an analog dial up modem, said one or moreremote terminals being designed to be remotely configured, wherein afirst remote interface means (RIM) is connected to a corresponding oneof the one or more remote terminals, the first RIM being adapted toprovide a bi-directional interface between the corresponding remoteterminal and the data network, wherein a modem emulator function isprovided to interface the programming terminal with the data network,the modem emulator function including programming capabilities adaptedfor transmitting data via the data network, the method including thesteps of: obtaining an address for the first RIM or the correspondingremote terminal; converting output signals from the programming terminalto a format suitable for transmission via the data network; establishinga data connection between the programming terminal and the first RIM viathe data network using the address of the first RIM or correspondingremote terminal; establishing communication between the first RIM andthe corresponding remote terminal; initiating the transmission of saiddata to the first RIM; in the first RIM, converting the data to a remoteterminal format used in programming or configuring the correspondingremote terminal; and transmitting the data in the remote terminal formatto the corresponding remote terminal.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1,wherein the address of the first RIM is stored in a RIM address listaccessible via the data network.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2wherein the RIM address list is stored in the programming terminal.
 4. Amethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output signals from theprogramming terminal include time-dependent information, the methodfurther including: time-stamping the time-dependent information.
 5. Amethod as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step ofreconstituting the time-dependent information at the first RIM fortransmission to the corresponding remote terminal.
 6. A method asclaimed in claim 4, wherein the data network has a corresponding networkprotocol, and wherein the method further comprises: adding time-stampsto the time-dependent information; converting the data, thetime-dependent information and associated time-stamps to a formatsuitable for transmission via the data network; transmitting the data,time-dependent information and time-stamp information in said formatsuitable for transmission via the data network across the data networkto a destination terminal; and reconstituting serial information usingthe time-stamps to reconstitute the time-dependent information.
 7. Acommunications system including a programming terminal and one or moreremote terminals for use with an existing alarm panel of a type which isadapted to use a telephone line as a primary communications path,wherein the communications system provides the existing alarm panel withan ability to transmit signals via a path through a data network havinga network protocol, comprising: a programming terminal associated with amodem emulator functionality adapted to convert serial data to a formatsuitable for transmission via the data network; the programming terminalincluding programming software, enabling the programming terminal, usingthe modem emulator functionality, to transmit serial data via the datanetwork to a remote terminal of said one or more remote terminals; theremote terminal of said one or more remote terminals including: anetwork interface; telephone intercept means adapted to interface withthe existing alarm panel, the existing alarm panel including ringdetection means adapted to detect ringing signals from the telephoneintercept means and to activate a voice frequency (vf) data modemassociated with the existing alarm panel; a programmable data store; andprocessor means adapted to enter and retrieve data from the programmabledata store.
 8. A communications system as claimed in claim 7, whereinthe modem emulator functionality is adapted to process time-dependentinformation for transmission; and wherein the telephone intercept meansis adapted to reconstitute the time-dependent information fortransmission to the existing alarm panel.
 9. A communication system asclaimed in claim 7, further comprising a management terminal adapted tocommunicate via the data network.
 10. A communication system as claimedin claim 9, wherein the management terminal contains a store of one ormore sets of programming instructions, each set of programminginstructions being adapted to perform a programming or configurationfunction at one of said one or more remote terminals, the managementterminal being responsive to a corresponding instruction from theprogramming terminal to transmit a selected one of the sets ofprogramming instructions to a selected remote terminal.
 11. Aprogramming terminal for use in a communication system including theprogramming terminal and one or more remote terminals for use with anexisting alarm panel of a type which is adapted to use a telephone lineas a primary communications path, wherein the communications systemprovides the existing alarm panel with an ability to transmit signalsvia a path through a data network having a network protocol, comprising:a programming terminal associated with a modem emulator functionalityadapted to convert serial data to a format suitable for transmission viathe data network; the programming terminal including programmingsoftware enabling the programming terminal to transmit serial data viathe modem emulator and the data network to a remote terminal of said oneor more remote terminals; the remote terminal of said one or more remoteterminals including: a network interface; telephone intercept meansadapted to interface with the existing alarm panel, existing alarm panelincluding ring detection means adapted to detect ringing signals fromthe telephone intercept means and to activate a voice frequency (vf)data modem associated with the existing alarm panel; a programmable datastore; and processor means adapted to enter and retrieve data from theprogrammable data store, the programming terminal comprising: a store ofone or more sets of programming instructions, each of said programminginstructions adapted to perform a programming or configuration functionat a remote terminal of said one or more remote terminals, theprogramming terminal being adapted to initiate a selected one of thesets of programming instructions in response to a corresponding inputinstruction.
 12. A programming terminal adapted as recited in claim 11,further comprising modem emulation software.
 13. A customer terminaladapted for use in a communication system including the programmingterminal and one or more remote terminals for use with an existing alarmpanel of a type which is adapted to use a telephone line as a primarycommunications path, wherein the communications system provides theexisting alarm panel with an ability to transmit signals via a paththrough a data network having a network protocol, comprising: aprogramming terminal associated with a modem emulator functionalityadapted to convert serial data to a format suitable for transmission viathe data network; the programming terminal including programmingsoftware enabling the programming terminal to transmit serial data viathe modem emulator and the data network to a remote terminal of said oneor more remote terminals; the remote terminal of said one or more remoteterminals including: a network interface; telephone intercept meansadapted to interface with the existing alarm panel, the existing alarmpanel including ring detection means adapted to detect ringing signalsfrom the telephone intercept means and to activate a voice frequency(vf) data modem associated with the existing alarm panel; a programmabledata store; and processor means adapted to enter and retrieve data fromthe programmable data store, the customer terminal comprising: voiceover internet protocol (VoIP) functionality, the customer terminal beingadapted to distinguish between alarm communications and VoIPcommunications from a remote terminal, and to direct alarmcommunications to an alarm system and to transmit VoIP communications toa VoIP network.
 14. A customer terminal as claimed in claim 13 furthercomprising phone number recognition means adapted to recognize alarmcommunications.
 15. A method of providing remote configuration accessfor a programming terminal via one or more data networks to one or moreremote terminals, the programming terminal being adapted to program saidone or more remote terminals via a public switched telephone network(PSTN) using an analog dial up modem, each of said one or more remoteterminals being designed to be remotely configured via the PSTN, whereina first remote interface means is connected to a corresponding one ofthe one or more remote terminals, the first remote interface means beingadapted to provide a bi-directional interface between the correspondingremote terminal and a data network, wherein a modem emulator means isprovided to interface the programming terminal with the data network,the modem emulator means including programming capabilities adapted fortransmitting information via the data network, the method including thesteps of: providing one or more sets of instructions and data; selectingone of the sets of instructions and data; converting the selected set ofinstructions and data to a format adapted for transmission via the datanetwork, and transmitting the selected set of instructions and data toone of said one or more remote terminals via the data network.